Chapter 19: Into the Fire

Kangeun, having finished her class, had just come out of a brief meeting at the publishing house for the translation work she had started last week.

She was about to head to the academy when she noticed her phone vibrating and stopped.

–Yes, Kangeun-ssi. You can take today off.

“What…?”

–It’s the midterm exam period, so the kids are just solving past exam questions. Kangeun-ssi, you worked hard printing and copying all last week, didn’t you?

“Ah, yes.”

–We’re combining classes to just go over the problems, so there won’t be anything for you to do even if you come. I forgot to tell you in advance. You can take the rest of this week off. Rest well and see you next week.

Kangeun said okay and ended the call.

Since she was paid by the hour, her salary would be reduced.

But there was nothing she could do.

“Hmm…”

The time had become a bit awkward.

To go back to school and study, considering the travel time, it was better to just go home.

Kangeun thought about having dinner with her father for the first time in a while.

Even if he was drunk and asleep, she would wake him up forcefully.

After much thought, she bought a bottle of soju and some groceries for dinner and was on her way home.

As she got closer to home, she heard a familiar name in her ear as she tried to ignore the glances of people.

“Was his name Siheon? You know, the boy from that house. I haven’t seen him lately.”

“Hasn’t it been a while since we’ve seen him? They used to stick together so much.”

“They’re not even related by blood, are they? That family’s situation is obvious, isn’t it? She probably kicked him out because she’s busy trying to survive.”

“Aigoo, how could she kick him out after all the time they’ve spent together?”

“Hyungnim, what affection? There’s no affection when there’s no money.”

“Still, is that really what happened? Did she really kick him out? That boy will be an adult soon, won’t he? If she just kept him a little longer, he would graduate and be able to earn his own living.”

She tried to ignore the group of people murmuring in front of the store.

But the conversation was aimed at Siheon, not Kangeun or Seongho.

“My kid says that boy suddenly transferred schools at the end of last year. Isn’t that strange? Who transfers when the semester is almost over? Usually, you go after the semester ends, right? He must have caused some serious trouble.”

“What kind of trouble could he have caused? He seemed fine. He was good at his studies too.”

“Those kids in that house are creepy. They may look fine on the outside, but she’s a murderer’s daughter and he’s the son of a prostitute, who knows what’s going on inside?”

“Oh my, that boy’s mother was a prostitute?”

“That’s what I heard. I heard before that she was a woman who sold her body in some rural backwater.”

“Oh my gosh…”

“Where would that blood go? It’s obvious, isn’t it? He must have touched some innocent girl.”

“Oh my, oh my, that’s right. It all fits together.”

Kangeun, who had been trying to ignore them, turned around.

She could endure them bad-mouthing her, but she couldn’t endure them bad-mouthing Siheon.

“Our Siheon, he’s not that kind of person.”

“…What?”

“I said Siheon is not that kind of person. He never missed the top spot in the whole school even without going to a single academy. He’s not just smart. He’s good at sports, he’s good at drawing, and he’s good at doing chores. He lives a more upright life than anyone else and doesn’t blame or speak ill of others. Our Siheon is a kid you wouldn’t be ashamed of anywhere. He’s never caused the kind of trouble you’re talking about, so please be careful with your words.”

The women shut their mouths.

They were surprised by the force of the girl who had always been quiet and inconspicuous, now confronting them with determination.

But soon, one woman coughed and pouted.

“Look at that. Look at her staring straight at an adult and saying everything she has to say.”

“Oh my… Anyone who heard that would think she was boasting about her own son. Where did such a great little brother go, and why is she alone?”

“That’s…”

Kangeun couldn’t answer right away.

“She probably kicked him out because she’s busy trying to survive.”

What one of the women had said just a moment ago was stuck in Kangeun’s heart like a thorn.

It was a fact she couldn’t deny.

Siheon had left with a smile, but Kangeun knew.

That Siheon hadn’t wanted to part with her either.

If she had had the money when she had confirmed Siheon’s feelings, she wouldn’t have sent him away.

No matter how good it was for him, if Siheon didn’t want it, he didn’t have to do it.

But she couldn’t come up with the settlement money.

So she had agreed when he said that going to his biological father was a ‘good opportunity for her too’.

What would have happened if Siheon hadn’t said that first?

In the end, Kangeun, who couldn’t endure reality, would have sent Siheon away anyway.

Because she couldn’t let Siheon go to jail.

They had both lied.

And they both knew each other’s lies.

But the reason they couldn’t tell the truth was because of their unavoidable circumstances.

In the end, it was because of money.

They had tried to deceive their desire to be together with the plausible words of liberating each other from each other.

But why had Siheon, who had left like that, cut off contact?

As if he were trying to erase the past he had spent with Kangeun.

Making it impossible to even look for him.

It was when Kangeun, who had been caught up in a short reverie, bit her lip and hesitated.

“Fire!”

At the short cry, everyone’s heads turned towards the sound.

People were gathering in the alley where Kangeun’s house was.

Startled by the unexpected sound, Kangeun blinked her large eyes and, as if possessed, approached the crowd.

“Oh my, oh my, what do we do. What do we do.”

“Oh my gosh, isn’t that Hyungjoo’s house?”

“Aigo, what is this. How long has it been since Hyungjoo’s dad passed away, and now another fire?”

“Doesn’t he live next door to Hyungjoo’s family? That, that murderer.”

“Oh my gosh! That’s right, that’s right. That arsonist lives there.”

“Did that guy do it again?”

“119! Did anyone call 119?”

“Sua’s dad is calling right now!”

Hyungjoo’s dad had died in the blanket factory fire five years ago.

After that incident, Hyungjoo’s mom had resented Seongho, who was believed to be the culprit of the fire.

But for some reason, she hadn’t moved out and had continued to live in that house, glaring at

Seongho and Kangeun with eyes full of hatred.

She had cursed Seongho, calling him a murderer, an arsonist, a man who wouldn’t be satisfied even if he were torn to pieces, and she had cursed Kangeun, calling her a gloomy and unlucky child.

She would periodically complain about her misfortune to the neighborhood people, and would wail, pointing to Seongho as the cause of her misfortune.

So the gate of Kangeun’s house was a mess.

The gate was covered in terrifying words like ‘murderer’, ‘arsonist’, ‘bring back my dad’, ‘die’, and ‘drop dead’.

She had painted the gate several times to erase the cruel graffiti that the neighborhood kids, or maybe even the adults, had done.

But before the paint had even dried, it was covered with new graffiti.

There were days when broken glass or food waste was thrown over the wall, and there were countless times when garbage was piled up in front of the house.

The men would spit behind Kangeun, and the women would frown as if they had seen something unpleasant.

To the people in this neighborhood, running into Kangeun was even more unlucky than ‘seeing a crow in the morning’.

And the one who instigated this ostracism was Hyungjoo’s mom.

But because she knew how she felt after losing her husband in a fire, Kangeun never once glared at her.

Sometimes she would cry, saddened by the fierce criticism, but she didn’t resent Hyungjoo’s mom for it.

But now, a fire had broken out at Hyungjoo’s house.

“What do I do…”

Black smoke was seeping out of the window of the small room where Hyungjoo would stay, the front door, and the back window where the kitchen was.

The fire was gradually spreading to the big room, and through the living room window, the bright red flames could be seen growing larger.

“Hyungjoo’s family isn’t inside, are they?”

“Hyungjoo’s mom, wasn’t she at the hair salon earlier? She said she was getting her hair dyed.”

“Then did the fire start in an empty house? Did she leave something on the stove?”
It was when everyone was waiting for the fire truck to arrive, feeling relieved that there were no casualties.

“Aigo, Hyungjoo-ya! Hyungjoo-ya!”
Hyungjoo’s mom, who had run from outside the alley, collapsed to the ground and shouted.

“Hyungjoo’s mom, no! Where are you trying to go!”

“My baby is at home! Let me go!”

“We called the fire truck. Huh? It’ll be here soon.”

“Hyungjoo-ya! What about my baby, Hyungjoo-ya!”

“The fire truck is late. Let’s at least go get some water and put it out!”
Kangeun, who had become anxious watching Hyungjoo’s mom crying on the ground, thought of the water tap in her yard and turned around.
She didn’t know if there was a long hose, but she opened the gate of her house, intending to do something.

“Dad…?”
Seongho, with bloodshot eyes, was standing in front of the door.

The smell of alcohol was strong, as if he had come out after being drunk and asleep, and his unwashed hair of several days was a mess.

However, in one hand he held a wet towel, and in the other, a blanket from which water was dripping.

At Seongho’s unusual demeanor, Kangeun unknowingly dropped the groceries she was holding.

From the broken bottle, soju gushed out, soaking the ground.

Even as a few apples rolled out of the grocery bag, Kangeun couldn’t take her eyes off her father, who was panting in front of her.

“Dad, there’s a fire next door…”

“Stay at home.”

“Dad…?”

“Kangeun, you stay at home.”
Before Kangeun could stop him, Seongho rushed out the gate.

“Dad!”

Kangeun urgently followed Seongho, but it was too late.

Seongho rushed towards Hyungjoo’s house, where the flames were spreading fiercely, without hesitation.

He wrapped his hands with the wet towel and tried to grab the doorknob, but when that didn’t work, he started kicking the front door.

“Dad! Dad…!”

When that still didn’t work, Seongho, who was looking around, strode towards the small room where the flames were the strongest.

He covered his mouth and nose with the wet towel, wrapped the wet blanket around his body, and threw himself at the glass window.

“Dad!”

The sound of the glass shattering was drowned out by the sound of the fire devouring the house.

Kangeun stamped her feet and called for her father, but Seongho, who had jumped through the window, soon disappeared from sight.

“What do I do, what do I do…!”
As Kangeun wrung her hands, not knowing what to do, she heard a loud crashing sound.

Then, a huge flame shot up, so large that the people gasped.

“Dad, please, someone save my dad…!”

Kangeun ran, crying.

She ran home, turned on the tap, and threw the water she had collected over the wall as best she could.

Moving frantically, Kangeun fell several times.

She was soaked from head to toe, and her knees and feet were bleeding.

She was covered in dirt, but she didn’t stop carrying the water.

“Aigo, what do we do, what do we do!”

Kangeun, who was collecting water, turned around at someone’s lament.

With a guttural sound like an animal would make, the roof of the small room of Hyungjoo’s house was slowly collapsing.

All she could see was despair.